Wow! On the A10 board, everyone assumed that the Dukes would be outside of the top 144.

grammudder wrote:

This is a very insightful and well articulated and balanced analysis of the Dukes.  The man either saw them this summer or got a ton of information from local sources to use in crafting his article. 

Can't be true. The Dukes suck. I know, I read it on this board.
 

Big improvement.  I hope Duquesne is rewarded by an NIT bid to someplace warm.

ElDuque wrote:

Listen, much of what's written here -- minus the first-hand accounts -- are the opinions and observations for which I am ripped by both the "koolaid drinkers" and the "talk me off the ledge" gang. I say this tongue-in-cheek, but it's true. Also true is that even if the reporter watched every summer league game, we still have to keep in in perspective. TJ tore up the summer league for two years, and while he played well for us he certainly did not dominate.

I hold to my theory that we may be an 18-win team with some luck this year, although our soft schedule may prevent any kind of postseason bid. A nice run in the A-10 Tournament would certainly help our chances, as would a down year among other conferences. I would be overjoyed with any additional wins, and an NIT bid, but there are still a lot of unknowns, so why not just sit back and watch it develop?

 

Modest optimism may be in order. The weak schedule won't help us get into the NIT, but I don't think the CBI cares about such, so 18 wins would likely get us in there.

ED, expectations rise and fall. A CBI bid would please most at this particular time. That said, we know what the ultimate goal is. Anything less will be a disappointment.  "In the __ o'clock game, in the ____ subregional, being played at_________, the number _ seed, the ________ of ________, out of the _________, will be playing the number _ seed, the Dukes of Duquesne, out of the Atlantic 10."
This is what we want to hear in the next few years.

I believe we'll know by the end of December where this team is headed. However, I was ready to bail two years ago but after watching the summer league games and reading the blurbs, I can say I'm cautiously optimistic. True, the summer games are not a reliable barometer. TJ was mentioned as burning up the summer league, well this summer we had 5 or 6 players burning up the summer league. So, if that results in 5 or 6 solid players for next year (counting our two sit-outs) then we are to something. Wait and hope. 

Last edited by KenOTR73 (8/21/2014 8:26 am)

Ritter, don't forget, when Everhart was fired and Ferry selected to replace him, we were told that the change was made to take us to the next level. Well, it's time. I root for the laundry, I'm not drinking anyone's koolaid, I'm not boldly predicting 29-0 and an easy walk to the Final Four. I'm saying: easy schedule, veteran leaders, influx of young talent, depth up front and in the backcourt. I'd feel most comfortable hearing that Mason, McCoy, Gill and Ridenour will be taking most of the shots next year, and I do worry that we still have some carryover of a lack of discipline in ball movement and shooting that could easily derail us, but I think when you really weigh all of the factors, there's every reason to believe that the record, overall, SHOULD be good. The only thing I can't address is what it will buy us; I think the schedule's too soft to help us unless we tear up the A-10 (not likely).

duq81 wrote:

ElDuque wrote:

Ritter, don't forget, when Everhart was fired and Ferry selected to replace him, we were told that the change was made to take us to the next level. Well, it's time. I root for the laundry, I'm not drinking anyone's koolaid, I'm not boldly predicting 29-0 and an easy walk to the Final Four. I'm saying: easy schedule, veteran leaders, influx of young talent, depth up front and in the backcourt. I'd feel most comfortable hearing that Mason, McCoy, Gill and Ridenour will be taking most of the shots next year, and I do worry that we still have some carryover of a lack of discipline in ball movement and shooting that could easily derail us, but I think when you really weigh all of the factors, there's every reason to believe that the record, overall, SHOULD be good. The only thing I can't address is what it will buy us; I think the schedule's too soft to help us unless we tear up the A-10 (not likely).

Don't waste your time. These folks are rooting for the Dukes to lose, so that the AD will be fired. Myself, I'm rooting for the team. If the result is that the AD ends up looking good, so be it. As I have said many times, my problem with the AD was more over the classless way he executed the move, as opposed to the move itself, although I myself would have given RE another year.
 

I don't root for them to lose. I'm just not going to blindly be positive unless I'm shown a reason to be. Do you think a 17-win season is going to get us an NIT bid with a 270 RPI? Fine. It's just not dealing in reality. Also, I would never tell anyone to be negative for the sake of being negative.